Our Virginia men’s basketball player preview series continues! So far, we have hit on Chance Mallory, Christian Harmon, and Jurian Dixon. Next up, we look at Kalu Anya, whose role is more up in the air.
Anya spent two seasons each at Brown, and most recently at Saint Louis, averaging a consistent 8.0 points, 2.0 assists, and 7.5 rebounds in 83 total games, starting all but two of them. He redshirted in his final season in the Gateway City, likely at least in part because he did not fit the three-point
heavy nature of new head coach Josh Schertz’s system. Now, the 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward will finish his college career at UVA, hoping for a more defined role that will maximize his skill set.
What are his strengths?
First and foremost, Anya provides a tough, physical presence on the interior, something that Virginia certainly continues to have with Thijs De Ridder, but also lacked a bit with last year’s center tandem of Johann Gruenloh and Ugo Onyenso. Anya finished seventh and fifth respectively on the conference rebounding leaderboard in his two Ivy League seasons, then finished third in 2024-25, following a bump up to the Atlantic 10. This is certainly an area in which he should profile well at the ACC level, especially after continued development and physical growth.
In addition to rebounding, Anya combines his strong frame with a high motor, making him a capable defender of more traditional opposing bigs. He is active in passing lanes, fundamentally sound, and decently athletic around the rim. Anya averaged more than a block and a steal per game in each of his two most recent seasons on the court.
On the offensive end, Anya is extremely efficient around the rim, averaging 65.8% on two-point field goals in 2024-25. While he is more of a finisher than a creator for himself, passing is perhaps Anya’s most underrated asset, and something that may keep him on the floor as a connector piece.
What are his shortcomings?
As previously alluded to, Anya’s reason for departure from Saint Louis in the first place comes from a lack of an outside shot in his game. Pretty much at all times last season, head coach Ryan Odom spaced the floor with five capable shooters that were a threat if left open. Anya has connected on just 13 triples in 51 attempts (25.5%) in his career.
Perhaps, more significantly, Anya is a fine, but far from elite rim protector. 6-foot-8 is certainly undersized for an ACC center, even if he has above average mobility.
Where does he fit in the context of the roster?
In short, a lot depends on whether Anya slots in as a four or a five. Someone will have to spot De Ridder some minutes, and Anya is among the best candidates, along with returning redshirt freshman Silas Barksdale. With Anya’s limited shooting ability, however, he may be a more viable asset as Gruenloh’s backup center.
In 2025-26, Odom relied heavily on his center duo of Gruenloh and Onyenso, having them essentially spell each other with 20 minutes per game each. This made sense with a suboptimal backcourt as far as on-ball defense; the Cavaliers would sit in drop coverage and allow whichever seven-footer was on the court to contest any drive to the rim. And, quite frankly, this worked well in most, but not all cases.
Most notably, Tennessee exploited Virginia’s one-dimensional defensive strategy in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 game. The Vols attacked downhill relentlessly with athletes, converting in the short mid-range and on the backdoor lobs. Duke also overwhelmed Virginia physically in large stretches of both of their meetings.
While Odom did not really have a counter punch in those cases last year, Anya offers more matchup versatility, adding a different element to the defense. With 7-foot-1 freshman Favour Ibe perhaps a bit too raw to play consistent minutes, as demonstrated by the Vanderbilt exhibition, Anya has every opportunity to earn playing time. Anya can match up against more versatile and physical front courts while providing a respectable offensive floor. Ibe is probably the higher upside option in a more traditional drop coverage scheme like we saw last year.
Odom’s roster construction suggests that he will not necessarily commit to a strict lineup combination and rotation across all opponents. Time will tell what type of role Anya falls into.
